Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Barge in Whittier Explodes Early Monday Morning

JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard crews are searching for one person missing after an explosion and subsequent fire at Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska, Monday.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, forward deployed to Cordova, searched by air while crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and Coast Guard Auxiliary 336 continue to search for the missing person.

The explosion reportedly occurred on a fixed barge, and the fire spread to the pier and then to the Anagalik, a 99-foot commercial fishing vessel that was initially reported to have two people aboard at the time of the explosion. Whittier Police Department personnel have since confirmed one of those two is safely aboard a different vessel en route to Whittier.

Sector watchstanders issued a Safety Marine Information Broadcast that established a 100 yard safety zone to keep vessels a safe distance from the fire while the crew of the Chandeleur launched in response to help maintain the safety zone and conduct a search.

The fishing vessel and barge sank in 85 feet of water at the pier with a potential maximum of 5,500 gallons of fuel oil aboard. The fishing vessel owners have contracted Global Diving and Salvage for clean-up and salvage efforts.

The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a 49-year-old Cordova man who went missing after an explosion at the Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska, Monday.

“The Coast Guard committed all available resources in conducting this search effort," said Cmdr. Mark Kuperman, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage deputy commander and the search-and-rescue mission coordinator for the search. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends who were impacted by this tragedy.”

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and volunteers aboard Coast Guard Auxiliary Boat 336 conducted the search across approximately 12 square miles over the course of 17 hours.

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